62 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



divided: flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular; sepals 

 4; petals 4 or 0; stamens 8, the outer opposite the 

 petals, or 4, rarely fewer; ovary inferior, 1-4-celled, 

 each cell 1-ovuled: fruit nut-like, often crowned by the 

 calyx. 



Eight genera and about 100 species are known, of 

 general distribution. These are most abundant in the 

 southern hemisphere of the Old World. They are repre- 

 sented in South America and elsewhere by the queer 

 Gunnera and in the eastern United States by Hippuris, 

 Myriophyllum and Proserpinaca. The family is closely 

 related to the Onagracese, but differs in having but 1 

 ovule in each cell of the ovary. 



The aquatic forms are Utricularia-like and floating, 

 with slender stems and either finely pectinate leaves 

 with filiform divisions (Myriophyllum) or linear and 

 entire leaves (Hippuris). Gunnera of South America 

 has broad kidney-shaped leaves varying from small to 

 gigantically large. The leaves of this genus in Costa 

 Rica are said to be so large as to give shelter to three 

 men on horseback. 



The fruits of Gunnera macrophyUa are used as a 

 stimulant in Java. The giant leaves, six feet broadj of 

 Gunnera chUensis are used in Chile for tanning skins. 



Two species of Gunnera are almost, or quite, hardy 

 in the mid-eastern United States, and are grown for 

 luxuriant lawn foliage. Several species of the aquatic 

 Myriophyllum are in cultivation, one of which is 

 parrot s feather (M . proserpinacmdes). 



Order 45. UMBELLIFLOR^! 



169. Araliaceae (from the genus Aralia, the meaning 

 of which is unknown). GINSENG FAMILY. Fig. 45. Herbs, 

 shrubs, or trees, often prickly or climbing: stems solid, 

 pithy: leaves usually alternate, simple, or pinnately 

 or ternately compound: flowers bisexual or unisexual, 

 small, regular, epigynous, commonly in umbels; sepals 

 minute, often almost wanting; petals 5, rarely more, 

 valvate or imbricated, sometimes cohering at the apex 



7b 



45. ARAUACEC: 1. Aralia, a. flower; b, floral diagram. 2. 

 Hedera, portion of inflorescence. UMBELLIFER^E: 3. Cicuta, 

 inflorescence. 4. Fceniculum, a, flower; 6, dehiscing fruit. 5. 

 Artedia, fruit. 6. Apium, fruit. 7. a, b, and c, fruits of Umbel- 

 liferse, cross-section. 



and deciduous as a cap; stamens usually 5, alternate 

 with the petals, and inserted at the edge of an epigynoui 

 disk, rarely twice or thrice as many; ovary inferior, 

 2-15-celled; cells 1-ovuled; styles as many as the car- 

 pels: fruit a berry, rarely splitting into segments. 



Fifty-one genera and about 400 species are dis- 

 tributed in tropical and temperate regions of both 

 hemispheres. The two great centers of distribution are 

 tropical America and the Malay Peninsula. The family 

 is very closely related to the Umbelliferae, but differs in 

 the berry-like fruit with more numerous carpels. 



The leaves of the English ivy (Hedera Helix) were 

 used in medicine in olden times. The roots of ginseng 

 (Panax Ginseng and Panax quinquefolium) are muca 

 prized in China where they are carried about on the 

 person as a charm against disease. These roots are 

 now extensively and profitably cultivated in America 

 for the Chinese trade. The roots of Aralia nudicaulis 

 (American sarsaparilla) are considered a tonic. Chinese 

 rice-paper is made from the pith of Tetrapanax papyri- 

 ferum simply by cutting the pith spirally into thin sheets. 

 Many Araliacese are grown as ornamental plants. 



Many genera are cultivated in America. Among 

 these are: Acanthopanax; Aralia (including Spikenard, 

 Hercules' Club or Devil's Walking-club, Wild Sarsapa- 

 rilla, Bristly Sarsaparilla, Chinese Angelica Tree); 

 Dizygotheca; Fatsia; Oreopanax; Polyscias; Pseudo- 

 panax; Hedera (English Ivy); and Panax (Ginseng). 



170. Umbelliferae (from the predominating type of 

 flower cluster). PARSLEY FAMILY. Fig. 45. Herbs or 

 rarely shrubs: stems often hollow: leaves alternate, 

 rarely simple, usually ternately or pinnately compound: 

 flowers minute, bisexual, regular or the outer irregular, 

 epigynous, borne in simple or compound umbels; 

 sepals minute or wanting; petals 5, valvate and 

 incurved in the bud; stamens 5, alternating with the 

 petals, inserted around an epigynous disk; ovary 

 2-celled, inferior, each cell 1-seeded; styles 2: fruit 

 very special, consisting of 2 dry, ribbed or winged, 

 1-seeded, indehiscent carpels (mericarps), which sep- 

 arate at the base but remain attached at the top to a 

 very slender and flexuous Y-shaped stalk (carpophore) 

 from which they dangle; between or under the ribs 

 are oil-tubes. 



About 231 genera and 1,500 species are very com- 

 monly found in all boreal temperate and subtropical 

 lands, but are rare in the tropics except in the moun- 

 tains. The Umbellifera; is a distinct family, closely 

 related to the Araliacese, and more distantly to the 

 Cornacese. The umbels, the inferior ovary and the 

 peculiar fruit are distinctive. 



The leaves are exceedingly diverse in size, shape 

 and extent to which compounded. Those of Eryngium 

 are sword-shaped, or yucca-like, often spiny; those of 

 Hydrocotyle are simple and often peltate. Azorella 

 of the Andes and New Zealand is turf-like or cushion- 

 like, a xerophytic adaptation. Some species of Angelica 

 are immense herbs many feet high with enormous 

 leaves. The flowers, in general, are uniform in structure 

 and appearance, the greatest diversity being in the fruit. 



Economic plants are abundant in the Umbelliferae; 

 between 40 and 50 have been listed by some authors. 

 Various alkaloids and other compounds, some very 

 poisonous, together with many kinds of resins, pro- 

 duced in the foliage, roots or seeds, form the basis of 

 then- economic importance. Plants used for food are 

 celery (Apium graveolens), carrot (Daunts Carota), and 

 parsley (Petroselinumsativum). Those used for flavoring 

 are caraway (Carum Carui), anise (Pimpindla Anisum), 

 sweet Cicely (Osmorhiza or Scandix), chervil (Anthriscus 

 Cerefolium),d\\\(Anethum graveolens), fennel (Foeniculum 

 vulgare), lovage (Levisticum officinale). Very poisonous 

 plants are poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), fool's 

 parsley (dlthusa Cynapium) and others. The following 

 drugs are obtained from this family: coriander (Corian- 

 drum sativum), ammoniac resin (from Dorema Amman- 



